Symbolic Fate
by Pippin
Summary: Takes place a year after S2. The Soul Eater becomes more dangerous and McDohl is determined to be rid of it. Please R
1. The Accident

Disclaimer: I do not own Suikoden or any of the characters. I will put claims to the characters whom I have created when they appear in later chapters.  
  
Author's rant: My first Suikoden fic. I would appreciate reveiws. Basically if you reveiw I update. You have a bit of influence on the updates don't ya feel special? Also, this fic will probobly conflict with any Suikoden game after Suikoden two but ya know what? I've never played them so they aren't gonna be involved in this fic. Suikogaiden or whatever you wanna call it. Also, McDohl is called Marshall in this fic and it takes place a year after S2.  
  
Chapter One  
  
A soft sigh escaped the elderly man, and he shook his head, saddened by what he now saw. Kai, one of the six generals of the Toran Republic, stood just outside his modest home in the capitol city of Gregminster and his gaze fell upon the lonely figure standing the the small stream which encircled the city. The darkness of the slightly chilled spring night didn't hide the identity of Kai's former student and general. Marshall had had a sadness behind his dark eyes when Kai had met him again during the war and since the end of the war the boy had seemed almost damaged in a way. A way that was far beyond any humans ability to repair.   
Physical and emotional damage constantly plagued the boy, grief and guilt over his father and Ted's deaths and the physical scar that had been left with him after the battle with his father. Marshall usually tried to hide this scar from others and Kai would sometimes wonder if Gremio knew of the scar that flawed the body of his master. His ageless master who gave no physical sign that he was nineteen years of age rather then the fifteen he appeared due to his rune.  
The general hesitated for a moment before appraoching his pupil. He cleared his throat, alerting the boy to his presence. Marshall only half turned, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye before looking back to the stream where a lone duck floated, sleeping, a few feet away.  
"Marshall, sleep is important for all living things, even the bearer of a true rune." Kai said gently, knowing that Marshall would probobly be grateful for his concern, as he always was with Kai or what was left of what he'd known as family.  
"The rune won't let me sleep... It's been hurting lately... I-" Marshall stopped himself and Kai could see from behind that the boys entire body had gone rigid and slowly started shaking uncontrollably.  
"Marshall...?" Kai whispered as he took a step forward. Suddenly he felt a lack of energy and his vision felt slightly dim. Yet it seemed even as the world went dim, the figure of Marshall turning and staring at him with an oddly frightened look on his face. The boy seemed only to grow brighter as the world grew darker before he faded as well, leaving only one thing left for the old man to see in the darkness.  
Soul Eater.  
  
"KAI?!"  
Marshall's panicked cries were answered by a few candles being lit in nearby home, including his own, and the eerie glow of the cursed rune through the glove he wore on his right hand. Turning back to the river for a moment, he saw the duck he'd seen earlier dead and a few fish floating at the surface. The still form of his former master lay before him, no breath drawing in or out of him.   
Shaking his head and trembling all the more violently, he backed away from Kai and towards the cities main gate. Feeling a sharp pain in his right hand, Marshall turned to run but froze when he saw the guard from the main gate. Another violent tremor ran through the boys body before he ran full speed at the main gate, hoping tht if the Soul Eater attempted to attack the guard as it apparently had Kai, it would take some time as it had the first time and Marshall could escape before it hurt anyone.  
  
"There isn't a mark on his body, yet there is no reason I know of for this to happen..." Liukan softly stated. He stood in the Imperial throne room, where President Lepant, his wife Eileen and the four of the five remaining generals waited for what the findings concerning Kai were. "He passed the physical I gave him with flying colors only days ago... I can't...." The doctor shook his head, over come with grief for his friend.   
"We will have to send word of this to Sonya... And we must take what the guard told us into account as well as the account of a few citizens..." Millich said softly.  
Lepant nodded in agreement. "Marshall was there... From what I understand he must have been the only one there. We need to find him."  
"You don't suggest it was his fault?" Valeria asked, startled. The idea seemed absurd to her as she knew it was everyone but she also knew the possibility needed to be addressed so that it could at least be said that he was ruled out of having anything to do with it. It was especially important to her that this was made clear since she promised to tell Gremio, Cleo and Pahn of what conclusions the generals and their president came to.  
"You know as well as I that the very notion of such a thing is ridiculous..." Eileen said gently, her melodic and gentle voice offering a slight comfort to those present. "We need to find him and question him about what has happened, but he would never intentionally hurt those he cares for." She continued. The gentle woman clearly was just as much in power as her husband and brought a voice of reason where it was most needed.  
"That issue must be addressed as well as finding a replacement to train troops." Lepant added. "I would like to keep you all here to investigate but I am afraid that with no reason to suspect foul play it would be useless. Go now, I will see you at the services for Kai."  
Valeria, Kwanda, Millich and Kasim nodded their heads before slowly filing out of the room.  
  
"A new world... The thrill of a new one has lost it's wonder now though."   
Randir stood alone in a great plain, mountains to the west and a city a few miles north of her. The Rune of Change glowed faintly on her forehead before the light faded. Randir's hazy blue eyes looked out at the world and wondered how many just like it she'd seen. It seemed pointless to her to wonder since so much had been forgotten in her long years. A being a few millenia old seemed like a mere child to her yet she appeared to be in her mid teen years.   
"Eighteen. Eighteen worlds I can remember exactly like this one." She stated after a moments thought before taking the first step towards the city in the distance.   
  
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Like? Don't like? Tell me. I want to write more but I won't without a few reveiws. ^_^ If you read this far, thanks!  
  
Pippin 


	2. New findings

Disclaimer: Still don't own the Genso Suikoden series. I do own Randir however.  
  
Rant: Review, review, review.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The sharp dagger rested only a few inches from Marshall's hand. The young man had intended to slice the cursed rune off his hand but suddenly he was frozen in place. He had been for what seemed like an hour, unable to move the blade any closer to the rune. He sat alone in the forest between Gregminster and Rockland, he'd somehow wandered there after the events of the previous night. The events of the...  
"Your fault... Kai..." The boy's voice cracked on the name of his former teacher. The strangely sublime look on Kai's face when he fell only seemed to frighten Marshall further. It probably never even occurred to Kai that his life was being sucked away. It hadn't occurred the Marshall right away. Then again, he hadn't stayed long enough to see if Master Kai had died. Maybe they got to him in time... "Wishful thinking..." He muttered to himself. He felt so alone in the world, so frightened. He longed for Gremio, his surrogate parent. He subconsciously knew that the Soul Eater would only kill Gremio but at the moment he refused to think of anything other then how much he desired another's company.   
Suddenly what had been holding him back from bringing the knife down to his hand let go of him. Slowly he brought the knife closer. It was but a hairs breadth from his flesh when a loud crack went through the air accompanied by a flash of light. Marshall's dropped the knife to instinctively protect his eyes from the light flash with his hand. When he lowered his left hand he saw the knife shattered on the ground. Some part of his wanted to believe it was purely because he'd thrown it to the ground but he knew better. No matter how much he wished it wasn't so, the Soul Eater was acting on its own accord.  
  
The sun was just creeping over the eastern horizon as Randir approached the gates to the city. She stepped through the gates, not caring that the rune on her forehead might cause people to stare. She couldn't remember when, where, or who she was when she received the Rune of Change and had long since lost her interest to care what people thought of the rune unless of course they were intending to kill her because of it. Not that she didn't often long for death, but to leave someone else to find the rune and be torn from their home, and identity as she had? She had no idea what type of person allowed her to take the damn thing but she refused to do as they did now. She had nothing to miss since her own origin had long been forgotten so why not spend her life focused on the only purpose left in her memory?  
She continued through the city, passing a few buildings before stopping, shock registering on her face. After all the wondrous and horrifying things that had been experienced by her it took something to suprise her. This was indeed, as they say, something. A shop just across the road from her with a small sign on the front had a small group of young men and women stepping out of it. Each of them showing off the small emblems on their hands. Just a glance at them and she knew these weren't mere tattoos.   
"Is this where you come from then...?" Randir thought to the emblem on her forehead. She had for so long begun to think of it has a companion and the idea that this was its world of origin... She'd seen battles from the scale of medieval times to battles taking place in outer space, seen every type of sentient being imaginable, seen worlds with magic and worlds that had lost it, but never had she seen another rune.   
Striding forward Randir glanced to the people out of the corner of her eye as she passed, hoping she'd find a way in this world to permanently get rid of the Change. "After all this time, I'd be happy to be able to grow old in peace..." She whispered to the rune.   
The shop was lit by a few stray candles and the scent of incense that smelled of fragrant apples. The woman behind the counter wore her light brown hair in an ornate style and she was adorned in a blue dress with a violet robe over it.  
"Ah, another customer! Well, how may I help you miss? I have many rare if..." Suddenly the shop keeper's eyes went wide, focused on the Rune of Change. After a moment of silence she started shouting excitedly. "That rune! Is it...?! Is it really the true rune?!"  
Touching her fingers to her forehead, Randir made it clear she wasn't sure she quite understood. What could make this rune more important then another, besides forcing them to wander aimlessly for an eternity, was beyond her knowledge. "You know of this rune...?"  
"Any rune mistress worth her salt knows the twenty-seven true runes! My gosh! And to think I will actually see a true rune... Especially the Rune of Change! I mean, it belongs to the Sindar and they only seemed to exist in legend..."  
"Sindar...?"  
"Oh dear, I am afraid I was rambling again..."  
Randir raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement twinkled in her eyes. "These Sindar... How much do you know about them?"   
"Know about the Sindar...? I am sorry, but my knowledge doesn't go beyond the rune you carry... That rune is supposed to belong to the leader of the Sindar so shouldn't you know about them?"  
"If ever I did, that knowledge has long been forgotten."  
"Oh dear... Well, if you have questions about the Sindar there is a man named Alex who lives at the White Deer Inn, right next to some Sindar ruins..."  
"Where is the inn?"  
"Well, uh... I've never been there myself..." The woman said sheepishly. "But to the northwest of this city is Dunan Castle, they have a wonderful map at their library. The castle is on a peninsula and there is a road there so you can't miss it."  
"Thank you very much. I'll be off then and thank you for your help." Randir said coolly before turning towards the door.  
"Wait! There are monsters and bandits on the road, its not entirely safe..."  
Randir smiled slightly, a part of her moved by the woman's genuine concern, but she merely tapped the hilt of the short sword she carried at her waist before leaving.  
  
"So then... They don't know what happened to him?" Gremio sighed, staring down at his tea. He'd practically been forced to stay in the city of Gregminster by President Lepant when he'd found out Marshall McDohl had gone missing.  
"No. Kai died with no sign of sickness, heart attack or any reason to believe he'd been attack or poisoned and Marshall is missing. We know from a few scattered reports, particularly the one from the guard, that Marshall was there and witnessed the event." Valeria replied sadly. She felt worn and tired after the long journey to Gregminster and now she had to deal with the emotional baggage of the loss of a dear comrade and the gnawing fear that something had happened to her former leader. "Gremio, Lepant has ordered that civilians be left out of this issue... I must ask you to stay here. I am merely telling you what is going to happen so you will be officially ordered probably within the hour, so don't try anything foolish. Cleo, Pahn this goes for you as well. I know all of you deeply care for Marshall, as all of us do but the government feels it would be best this way."  
Cleo and Pahn glanced to one another before nodding their heads in compliance. Both glanced to Gremio, knowing they may have to go so far as to chain him down in order to keep him in one place.  
  
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Rant: Review and tell me what you think, what you would like to see and what you wouldn't like to see. It'd mean a lot!  
  
Pip 


	3. Discovery

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I no own Genso Suikoden. I do own Randir, Lithrin and Misorin.  
  
Note: Hey, I got a few reveiws! Shweet! ^_^ And Luna your so-called "bias whining" is understood here. Suikoden 2's hero is called Cye. Don't shoot me I am just using names I used and thought suited them.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Marshall..."  
"No... Oh all people on this planet, I don't want to see you..."  
A pale sphere of blue light appeared before Marshall and faded just as quickly, revealing Leknaat, the Blind Seer. She didn't moce in the slightest, and for a moment she appeared to be a painted statue. Marshall, however, seemed to be trembling. Perhaps with rage, fear, or the simple wish that she was someone else, someone who would show kindness, concern and comfort drove him to the point of fighting tears.  
Suddenly Marshall let out a gasp of fright, trying to scramble away at the sudden realization of how close she was to him and Soul Eater. "Stay away! Don't come a step nearer!" The fear he felt for her sake didn't show in his voice. He sounded threatening, more powerful then the boy who had liberated the people of what was now the Toran Republic and far more desperate.  
"It will be sometime before it comes for me, Marshall..." Leknaat whispered, stepping foreward to prove a point. "Soul Eater isn't the only one to sense it Marshall... They're here. They are all here." Her sightless eyes saw not the bewildered expression on the youth's face, however, centuries of life gave her a keen sense for such things. "The runes, Marshall... The last one has returned to this world." Leknaat paused for a moment before speaking again. "Marshall, you have the right to know why Soul Eater has acted with no command from you, its owner. But do wish for such an answer?"  
Marshall's brow furrowed in frusteration. She didn't need to ask and she knew it. He never quite knew how to react to Leknaat. Part of him always respected her but... Part of him felt that she played him into his position in the war in some way... And his gratitude for returning his friend Gremio only complicated the issue. "I need to know what... I mean why what happened happened..."  
"As you wish."  
"I wished for nothing you gave me." Marshall snapped bitterly.  
Leknaat only smiled at him. He hated that smile. That patient look on her face that one would have when dealing with an incompetant child who always made a harmless mistake.  
"The final rune, the Rune of Change, has returned to this world, Marshall. This rune belonged to the Sindar, the ancient and fair race, beings in this world from kobolds to dwarves, held great respect for them. However all races have a burden. Most bring them upon themselves but the Sindar did not. They were cursed with the Rune of Change, which forces it bearer and those who follow the bearer to wander the world, unable to find rest. The Sindar would not be separated, and thus the bearer was the leader of the Sindar, and they all suffered for their loyalty. But the runes were the birth of magic in this world, and that magic could end all. If all the runes are gathered in the same world, and Soul Eater has done enough to satisfy itself through its owner, it will draw power from the other runes and act on its own. It cannot without all the True Runes here though. It gained such power when the Sindar still were seen and abandoned it's master for he was a weak willed man. It assumed a physical form in order to satisfy its own lust for blood. Soul Eater may have brought about an apocolypse had it not been for two people. The Sindar bearer of the Rune of Change, the Lady Lithrin, and Misorin, son of men and Cheif of a group of humble and proud people. Both were willing to sacrifice much for the sake of this world. Commanding their people to stay behind they left this land. Across the oceans far to the east they traveled, Misorin acting as defense for Lithrin as she made her way to the place where the magic of runes was born.  
"What this place looks like none know, for neither Misorin or Lithrin returned. Why Misorin never came back none know, but Lithrin meant to leave this world. In this place, the curse of a true rune may somehow be altered, and this was the Lady's purpose. Somehow at this place she changed the rune's curse to one that would take her out of this world, and away from Soul Eater."  
"Why not just get rid of Soul Eater?" Marshall questioned.  
Again Leknaat smiled. "Soul Eater had a will of its own. It had a form of its own and could not be forced to go anywhere. Those who stepped near it only died, and more painfully that Kai. No other rune bearer was willing to leave this world. Lithrin however wanted to free her people of the rune and volunteered to leave. Misorin's people worked to defend the people of this world from Soul Eater and thus he was drawn into the duty of seeing Lithrin's task through to the end. No one else was with them other then those who sailed with them, who were bidden not to follow them onto the other continent, but by their accounts Misorin's loyalty to the Lady ran deeper then a mere feeling of duty in order to save this world. The tale of what happened after they left the men who had brought them is unknown but Soul Eater was stopped and the Sindar were not forced to wander. They still felt not at home and left. It is said they found their home but that may only be the wishfulness that exists in songs."  
Marshall sat in silence, not knowing quite how to respond but knowing he was once again being called on by what Leknaat called "Destiny."  
  
"Miss...? Can I help you with something?" The librarian of Dunan Castle, Oakly, looked up from his book, and smiled at the young woman. She had the look of a traveler, it was evident from her faded maroon tunic and worn brown pants, and while some older travelers had little interest in books this younger generation had a genuine curiosity that seemed unquenchable.  
"Um, yes. I was told there was a map here that could help me find the White Deer Inn..." The girl responded, turning towards him, revealing the rune on her forehead. The man was not suprised though, he didn't recognize the rune for what it was but he knew how popular those things were. Heck, they always had been and always would be.  
"The White Deer Inn...? My, you are going a bit out of your way for an inn..."  
"I just need some information from the owners."  
The man chuckled. "This is a library my dear. Didn't you think of asking us?" She grinned at him, looking generally amused.   
"I was actually looking for information on the Sindar. From what I understood from the woman who directed me here, it wasn't exactly knowledge that is common..."  
Oakly laughed, patting the girl on the back good naturedly. "This is Dunan Castle my bear, hardly a common place. Whether you are talking about the restaurant or the library or the history of course."  
"History?"  
"Good heavens, young lady! Have you been in the Cave of the Wind the past year? No wait, you probobly would have run into Lord Cye... He went into the cave often you know."   
"No, I don't."  
Again the librarian laughed, and he led her up the stair case to the library's second floor, explaining that the Lord Cye had been quite an adventurer and had found many interesting objects on his journey, including rare books. One of them, found in the ruin's of a Sindar city.  
"Those ruin's were actually near the White Deer Inn, if I heard right."  
"I may end up there anyways then." She replied as she took the book gratefully.  
  
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Rant: La la la... Tell me what you think if you've read this, much appreciated. 


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